[Review] — "The SEPTEMBER HOUSE" is a Bloody Good Debut Horror Novel

Available to purchase now on hardback and Kindle from Berkley Books (an imprint of Penguin Random House) is the Gothic horror-thriller—The September House by Carissa Orlando. In this addictively engaging and complex debut novel, a woman is determined to stay in her dream home even after it turns into a haunting nightmare.

In the novel, Margaret and her husband Hal were ecstatic to finally own a home when they purchased a large Victorian house on Hawthorn Street for a shockingly affordable price. They then learned about the hauntings. Every September, blood drips from the walls. Former residents' spirits start to show up, and they're all scared of whatever is hiding in the basement.

Most people would run away in fear, all except for Margaret.

She'll continue to live there; it's her home. But after four years, Hal has had enough and unexpectedly departs. Their daughter, Katherine, unaware of the hauntings, comes and is determined to find her missing father, who's not answering his phone calls. It doesn't help that September has only just begun, and with each unsuccessful search Margaret and Katherine make for Hal, the hauntings become more and more terrifying because of the secrets the mansion needs to keep hidden.

The September House is a clever and creepy tale in the vein of The Amityville Horror, Stephen King's The Shining, and Edgar Allen Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart. The narrative is from the point-of-view of Margaret, where, as a reader, you question her insanity and reality as the story plays out. Three-fourths of the novel is a drama with some dark comedic aspects; the horror and gore don't show up until the final act. Did I mention the blood? Because there's plenty of it.

Overall, The September House is a bizarre and horrifying haunted house tale that will appeal to most horror fans. After reading the final page, you'll think twice about buying an old Victorian house. ╌★★★★★